


Texting

by scriptingSouls



Category: Free!
Genre: Asahi's POV, M/M, Some Swearing, The oneshot texting fic no one asked for, format is weird, goofy dorks being goofy dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23996434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scriptingSouls/pseuds/scriptingSouls
Summary: It started probably two weeks after he moved, on his first day of school.Just a simple text.“Asahi!! Good luck at the new school, make lots of friends!”He’d typed a snarky reply stating how he didn’t need luck, luck was for losers and he was born a winner, but... the shakiness in his stomach at thinking of being the new kid yet again, had now vanished… just like that.
Relationships: Shigino Kisumi/Shiina Asahi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Texting

**Author's Note:**

> Started this while watching season 3. I was so happy that despite being such a background pair on high speed! 2, after all those years Asahi and Kisumi had only grown closer.  
> This is my silly headcanon of how that relationship grew.

It started probably two weeks after he moved, on his first day of school.  
Just a simple text.

  
“Asahi!! Good luck at the new school, make lots of friends!”

  
He’d typed a snarky reply stating how he didn’t need luck, luck was for losers and he was born a winner, but... the shakiness in his stomach at thinking of being the new kid yet again, had now vanished… just like that.

  
For a while that was all to it. He was busy with trying to fit in his new school, meet his classmates, make new friends, all that jazz.  
But soon enough he found himself bored out of his mind. His sister was too busy dating a new guy to take him out, his new friends still too new to ask them to hang out, and it was the weekend.  
His finger absentmindedly scrolled through his list of contacts, up and down as boredom slowly drove him insane. Suddenly, it paused at his name. He hadn’t meant to, or maybe he had, it didn’t matter he was already typing.

  
“I’m bored, everyone else’s busy”  
He pressed send before he could regret it. He wasn’t done figuring out yet if he expected a reply or not when his phone buzzed in his hand.

  
“What am I then? You last resort?!!! I’m so hurt! Asahi is so mean”

  
A smirk quickly takes over his lips; excitement at the prospect of teasing Kisumi for a while quickly casting all boredom away.

  
And like that, it became a “thing”. It didn’t happen often, usually on weekends and a few times after class on a school day, but it was mutual at least.  
One of them would find an excuse and an exchange began. Sometimes it was short, a reply or two; sometimes it went on for a while.

  
He had changed schools before so he wasn’t new to the leaving friends behind ordeal; some of those friends had been far closer to him than Kisumi ever was. He would write them letters ever so often and they’d reply a while later but eventually it would stop. There was no point in trying to hold on to a friend through paper when they weren’t going to see each other again.

Over time he’d come to think of letters as a friendship’s funeral.

  
He had still diligently written one to all of his relay partners after leaving Iwatobi anyway, but only Makoto had replied. Always so diplomatic and kind, he’d told him they had all quit. It made him sad.  
He hadn’t written one for Kisumi though and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was because of that text on his first day of school...

  
It was a first for him, to keep in touch like that, well, to keep in touch at all.

  
Asahi also thought it would be awkward with a guy. He thought of texting as something he’d do once he got a girlfriend, so he tried to avoid it in the meantime. It was childish he knew, but he wanted it to be so that when he finally texted was because he had someone to text. Like a small victory.

  
It wasn’t awkward though, not with Kisumi...it was fun. He was never going to admit it to the guy though, no way! You’d have to catch him dead first for that!  
He was sure it would stop eventually though, like the letters...

  
He made new friends, he started high school, founded his own swim club at school, and yet...he still kept in touch with Kisumi...

  
“Can you believe I had to clean the pool?! A whole pool! Everything hurts now” He pressed send and rolled around in bed, face down. Groaning when he realizes he couldn’t reach the bag of chips on the floor now.

  
“Don’t they always make new members clean the pool anyway? Can you really say you will be a professional swimmer one day if you can’t handle just a little bit of exercise?” His greasy fingers slip on the phone as he angrily types the reply.

  
“But that’s a whole team! It was just me and another dude! What do you know anyway? All you do is eat sweats, I bet you are fat now, weakling” He wipes the oil from his lips as soon as he types that, thankfully Kisumi can’t see him.

  
“Oh but I burn every single calorie I eat, have you seen fat basketball players? And I’m the star baby. Taller and fitter than ever <3” Cocky bastard. His phone buzzed again before he could think of a good comeback.

  
“I’m kind of curious now though! How did you convince someone to join a dead club just to clean a pool?” Asahi smiled at the opportunity.

  
“Oh Kisumi, you know you are speaking with Shiina Asahi right? He’s quite the persuasive guy, never takes no for an answer”

  
“No but seriously”

  
“I told him he’d get to see girls in bathing suits”

  
“Ha! Poor guy, there will never be a girl in your club as long as you’re the leader” That bastard! “Too bad I’m not there, I’m sure I could convince girls to join”

  
“Show off”

  
“Haha, I was just saying”

  
“Well, I didn’t ask”

* * *

Time went on and whatever changed in his life, his school, his classmates, his sister’s boyfriends, there was always one constant.

“Stupid english teacher decided to make fun of my name today!! now all the guys call me kiss-me-kun!! yet... again... Thought you’d find that funny, as your humor sucks” He could see Kisumi’s pout in his mind, making him chuckle.

  
“Hilarious! But… what the hell were your parents thinking anyway?”

  
“I don’t know, they probably failed english”

  
“Well they sure did when they named you kiss-me-kun” Kisumi was just too easy to tease, and boy did he love it.

  
“Shut up, not you too…Asahi's so mean!”

  
“Better get used to it, people will keep making that joke wherever you go… for eternity” He did feel somewhat bad for the guy.

  
“so mean” tears emoji

  
“It has it’s advantages though...”

“Like what? Freaking out foreigners?’

  
“you could go around kissing people and saying they asked for it’

  
“Spoken like a true sexual harassment guy from the train adds"

  
“If life gives you lemons... “

  
“You squeeze them against her will?” a shocked emoji.

  
“Now who’s the pervert? I never said that! See my mom is right the quiet ones are always the worst

  
“Mommas boy!”

* * *

“Finally! I got 5 people! FIVE! To join the swim club, we are now a proper club! I never doubted myself for a second” He could hardly contain his excitement,dancing sillily around his room.  
He had been dying to get home and tell Kisumi about it.

  
“I never doubted you either Asahi!” He felt some weird fluttering in his stomach… huh, he didn’t remember eating anything that could make him ill.

  
“Kiss-ass”

  
“Kisumi actually, nice to meet you” _Oh god… so lame._

  
“You’re such an old man, how do you even have so many girls after you? Ugh!”

* * *

Asahi never thought it would be Kisumi of all people he ever met and sort of befriended, the one who he’d continue a friendship with against all odds. The guy pissed him off from the first second he met him, he was everything Asahi wasn’t: a pretty boy with a trail of girls swooning after him, easygoing and charming. Effortlessly good at school, good at sports, teachers loved him and he was always soft spoken, he never got angry over silly things. He was like a slap on the face turned human.

  
But Kisumi had somehow softly pushed himself into his life despite all the prejudices Asahi had against him.

“You should have seen it, we were tied 65-65 there were only 3 seconds left” He smiled at his phone, it was rare for Kisumi to show so much excitement. It made him giddy with a playfulness he reserved only for his friend.

  
“Kisumi grabs the ball… he hesitates, should he pass it… or risk it?”

  
“What do you think I did?”

  
“You went for it! A half court shot… time goes still as the ball cruises through the air, a perfect arc”

  
“So far so good… then?”

  
‘Then boing!… it bounces off the ring, you tie and you’re excited over nothing of course”

  
“You wish!”  
“So you won the match? Man, I’m glad I wasn’t there. bet you were absolutely unbearable right after, that cocky smile and all the girls going “You are the best senpai! Ahh Kiss me Kiss-me-kun!!, No! Kiss me first!! Kiss all of us””

  
“Ah Shiina… You’ve been reading too much harem”

  
“A healthy boy my age has needs”

  
“Ah yes, the need to date 15 girls with different personality disorders at once”

  
“Shut up, you have a real life harem, you’re one to judge!”

  
“I don’t and I don’t care for it, it’s no fun at all, people just romanticize what they can’t have”

  
“Oh mister deep talking!”

Sometimes he wondered, why? Why did Kisumi keep replying, keep texting. Surely a guy like him had a busy social life, going out with friends, to girl-boy outings and all, something he still had failed to accomplish.

Maybe he was a text freak, he was texting 50 people at once and Asahi was just one of them and to Kisumi, it was not a big deal. That was probably it, Asahi was the weirdo who only texted one friend like he did with Kisumi. Kisumi probably even kept in touch with Haruka of all people.

  
Or maybe Kisumi was actually fat now, puberty hitting him like a brick and he didn't have any girls after him anymore, ha! He just said he did because he was ashamed Asahi would tease him.

* * *

"I give up! english is just too hard!" He flopped to the bed and groaned. He needed to share his misery.

  
"Wait… is 'I'm a genius’ Asahi showing weakness?"

  
"Shut up teacher's pet" bickering with Kisumi was the most effective way to kill stress.

  
"tehehe if your pride can bear it…I could help" Asahi considered it for a bit but how would that even work?

  
"I'm not going to text you my entire textbook"

  
"Duh I meant over the phone" Asahi froze, one thing was texting but calling? He hadn't heard Kisumi’s voice in over two years. Would it have changed? Of course it changed! They weren't middle schoolers anymore . Would it be deeper than his? The mere thought sent a rush of what he claimed to be jealousy mixed with embarrassment through him. Nah... it was probably high pitched and whiny.

  
"I knew you'd chicken out" Kisumi replied with a tongue emoji.

of course I didn't chicken out! Shiina Asahi never chickens out! Wash your mouth… I just don't like the idea of you having audio footage of me speaking english"

  
"in other words you're scared"

  
"I told you, Shiina Asahi is not scared of anything"

  
"prove it"

  
_Kisumi is calling you._

  
He took a deep breath, fingers shaky and tapped the phone icon.

  
He cleared his throat and put on the deepest emotionless voice he could. Might as well get the embarrassment of speaking English out of the way right away. That's the kind of guy he was, the kind to dive head first.

  
"Nice... to… meet... you, I'm Asahi senpai... your superior "

  
Kisumi's giggle could be heard from the other side of the line. His heart beat faster and his stomach churned.

  
"Ah you don't need my help at all I see, being my superior and all" Kisumi answered in japanese, his voice was soft and melodic, somewhat like sound candy with teasing sprinkles, Asahi blushed and shook his head, weird thoughts.

  
He cleared his throat again and tried his best to speak English again.

  
"The cat is under the table, the sky is cloudy, Timmy hit the ball" Kisumi’s laughter was more confident this time, but equally melody-like. “That’s all I got” he added in japanese with a sigh.

  
“Well…” It was Kisumi’s turn to clear his throat, doing his best to imitate Asahi’s weird accent “I’ll be your teacher for today!”

  
And just like that, whatever awkwardness Asahi was scared of, was nowhere to be found, all there was was the same teasing familiarity of always.

* * *

Another year went by, they were not longer juniors anymore. Kisumi with the basketball club, Asahi being the leader of his swim club, school kept them busier than ever, but still… they texted. They also called once in a while.

“Yo! There’s a movie on channel 5 now, watch it”

  
“Which channel 5? We have different networks Asahi!”

  
“The movie one idiot! Go go quickly you’re missing the best part”

  
“Ah this is the one you wanted me to watch, with the tornado and the sharks”

  
“It’s a piece of art”

  
“I can see that” a snort and a pregnant silence. They were probably supposed to hang up then. “You gonna watch it too?” Kisumi’s soft voice ended the awkwardness.

  
“Hmm got nothing better to do” That was not true, he had like 4 different school assignments due in the immediate future.

  
“Let’s watch it together then” there again was that annoying fluttering in his stomach. He’d have to ask his mom to get him a doctors appointment.

* * *

As time went on, there was something gnawing at him, he had this curiosity of what Kisumi looked like now. It had been almost 4 years, they were both 16 now and surely,it was natural to wonder what your friend looked like now, right? He could tell he had changed a lot, at least his voice had; It wasn’t some caricature deep voice, but it didn't sound boyish anymore. He himself had changed, he was taller, leaner, a lot more good looking if he could say so himself.

  
He told himself it was just to make sure if Kisumi was actually fat, or if he was still the pretty boy from middle school.

Pretty boy’s don't age well, his sister had told him once when Asahi was being petty about Kisumi getting all the girls back in middle school, and she was sick of his whining.

“Yo stop ignoring me!”

  
“Sorry I just got back home”

  
“Oh..” there was a pause after his text. “A date?”

  
“Not quite, but girls can be exhausting you know?”

  
“No.. I wouldn’t know”

He really doubted it was Kisumi’s case though.

Problem was, how exactly do you go about asking for a selfie from another guy? Without making it all weird and awkward at least?

He kept it in the back of his mind every time they texted, typing things like “Yeah I bet you look real dumb right now, send a photo or I’m right” and then quickly earsing it.

Eventually his super smart brain came up with an excellent plan. In the wise words of his kindergarten teacher, “When you want to know other kids’ names, the polite thing to do is to start by telling them yours, then it’s the other kids' turn!”

So if making friend’s 101 had taught him anything, you need to take the first step and sometimes the second, third etc. He was Shiina Asahi, he never gave up.

At least that was his reasoning for sending Kisumi a selfie of him lying in bed showing his teeth in a goofy smile, completely out of the blue and without any context.

He hadn't thought just how nerve wracking waiting for a reply would be. Sure he was always expectant to hear back from Kisumi each time he texted him but this… this was something else entirely.

“What was that for?” big eyed emojis.

His pulse quickened and this time he was sure he was going to be sick. Fuck, he should have planned it better. Had he made it weird? yeah...he had made it weird!

His sweaty fingers typed that it was meant for his sister and it and it was all just a big mistake. The good old backtracking tactic.

Before he hit send his finger froze in mid air. His cheeks coloring pink and his breath catching in his throat as a pathetic sound escaped his lips. His heartbeat though… his heartbeat was out of control.

Staring back at him through a glass screen... a grown up Kisumi with his head resting on his palm and raising an eyebrow intrigued… _right… back at… him._

He threw his phone on the bed and covered his face with a pillow screaming into it. It worked! His plan worked! But… shit… Kisumi… he was cute.. No… he was handsome… no what the fuck.. _This is so dangerous. what the hell were you thinking, Shiina?_

Red flags flashing in his mind be damned, the urge to see the photo again was too strong. Alone in his room there was no one to judge him as he fumbled for his phone clumsily and zoomed in on his friend's face. The heat climbing up his cheek was undeniable this time.

He spent a good couple hundred seconds staring at that photo before he realized it had a caption.

“There, you don’t have to feel embarrassed now”

He couldn’t help but giggling, only Kisumi ever saw right through him enough to know what to say.

“You dork!” he replied before his long silence made his friend feel bad in turn. “Just for the record I sent it by mistake” yeah he wasn’t about to admit to being the biggest dork.

“Of course, sure. I didn’t though… I don’t shy away from being a dork unlike some people”

He hesitated to type some comeback and another text came in.

“You haven’t changed at all btw” His heart shook violently… they were now on “review your friends looks” territory and fuck if he had any idea of how to go about that.

“Screw you, I’m 10 times more handsome” Boast and divert the attention, best tactic.

“Meh… maybe 0.1 more handsome” He knew Kisumi was just teasing him but his cheeks flared up all the same… in a way, he was admitting to thinking he was handsome.

It was becoming impossible to deny. He might have a _slight_ crush on his friend.

* * *

Kisumi continued being his usual damn self, except… Every once in a while he would send a selfie now. Much to Asahi’s developing heart problems.

“Help! I’m at the mall with the guys from the club, they forced me into this!”

Asahi raised an eyebrow as he waited for the photo to load, the food he was chewing getting stuck on his throat when it finished loading.

Kisumi in a freaking bunny hoodie, _ears and all._

He grabbed the nearest cushion to scream into it.

“The fuck is wrong with you?! Geez” His sister who was home from university yelled from the kitchen.

How on earth could anyone be that cute, it was impossible! Surely it had to be illegal!

He kept blinking at the most precious thing on his screen, unable to stop gawking like an idiot.

The thought of replying was impossible, his sister often boasted about being the only one to render his loud mouth speechless, granted it was always during arguments. Well… she had a new contestant.

“I know you saw it, you’re probably laughing your ass off right now! They want me to go out like this! Asahiiiii help”

* * *

He would send some selfies too, always being goofy. It wasn't as awkward as he expected it to be. Perhaps because of all those years of tease texting. It didn't seem like much had changed except his now quick to react treacherous hormones.

“Found a new pastry shop!”

He rolled around on his bed.

Kisumi had just sent a photo of him eating a chocolate cake and there was frosting all over his face. The urge to reach out and wipe it.. Or dare he say lick it made his face match his hair.

They had started to call each other more often too.

“Whadda ya want, I’m watching tv!” His ringtone for Kisumi was now some annoying song that Kisumi made him swear to use.

  
“It’s homework time!” A cheery voice he’d become secretly addicted to greeted him on the other side. Asahi groaned and rolled off the couch “do we have to really?”

  
“Yes we do!” Kisumi exclaimed in english.

* * *

How could someone be so beautiful? Sometimes it hit him just how he was just like any other girl swooning over kisumi. He used to be so jelly of kisumi for having said girls swooning after him and being so nonchalant about it, or at least he thought he had been.

His sister would always call him dense, maybe she was right.

How long does it take to realize you like somebody? Well according to the internet, hell, they didn’t even know either.  
Then the much less fun aspect of having a crush hit him. His phone buzzed and...

“Quick Asahi, I need help!"

"???"

"I have a group date thing, I don't know what to wear"

His heart froze. Kisumi would mention having girls after him and going out with his friends, it's not like Asahi didn't already know from middle school just what a heartthrob he was. And boy did he know it now.

But they had never actually talked about that aspect of life… _Dating_

"The heck am I? your girlfriend? ask someone else!!" he couldn't help it. Some rage-like and unpleasant feeling was taking over him.

"Please Asahi there is no one else"

He contained the urge to tell him to ask one of the girls he would end up sucking face with, but he was supposed to be just a friend and not a jealous freak.

"You could go in a banana suit and the girls would swoon either way" he knew he would.

"I don't want to go in a banana suit nor look like a weirdo who overdresses or underdresses. The guys would never let me live it down so... “

“Why you're asking me you know i have zero experience with this stuff”

“Well… I didn't know” great now Kisumi knew he was a loser. “Plus you're my friend thats why”

_Oh god no, not the friend line_

“Fine idk tell me what you have”

Kisumi proceeded to send several pictures in different shirts, t shirts and pants. Looking hotter in each one of them.

If there was a god surely he hated asahi.

“So?”

“The blue t-shirt and the first pants”

“R u sure?”

“It highlights your eyes” he typed before he could catch himself. “Well that's what my sister would say!”

“Your sister?”

“Yeah I asked her, I don’t know shit about this. She said that”

“But you said my sister WOULD say” _fuck fuck fuck._

“Typo” _I’m an idiot!_

“Well… blue it is then.. If your sister said it, I trust her. Hold on”

He needed a paper bag to breath in, he was gonna die! How could he let that slide?

“How do I look?”

_God damn it Kisumi!_

He couldn’t possibly ask him that. It’s almost like he knew just what it did to him. How could he ever answer that. Now he truly had a breathing problem.

“Asahi so mean, I know you’re laughing your ass off now” _more like about to cry._

“You look fine ok, just have fun on your date… and if you get a girlfriend don’t forget about me” He couldn’t help the pang in his chest. He knew Kisumi would never like him the same way but… having him completely out of his life, was just too cruel a thought.

“Haha, nah dude! I don't have time for a gf with the club and having to tease you and all!” winky emoji.

Asahi had to blink a couple of times over the last sentence. It was dumb and meaningless, just another jab of the many they exchanged since like the beginning of time, but… it felt almost like… flirting. It was probably in his head, it was SURELY in his head, but... maybe?

Only Kisumi could make him do a one-eighty from hopeless to hopeful like that.

* * *

As their senior year came their conversations became weird, Asahi didn’t know if Kisumi was flirting with him, he didn’t know if HE was flirting with Kisumi, or if it was all just teasing.

“So there are some scouts going to the next tournament, I’m actually scared!”

“You’ll blow their minds! They are going to be like, isn’t that guy the famous Shiina Asahi?”

“Shut up!”

“I’m serious, you’ll do great, I wish I could be there to cheer you on! have you picked any school yet?”

“Have you?”

“I don’t know… I kinda thought it would be fun to go to Tokyo… wouldn’t it be fun if we ended up in the same school?”

Asahi’s heart filled with giddiness.

“I’d like that”

“Hmm I thought you’d say something snarky like, “Id have to transfer to the other side of the country””

Asahi smiled sadly… if only Kisumi knew.

“We already are on the other side of the country and I still talk to your ass”

“Well I have a nice ass” He had to breathe deep and contain himself from asking for a butt pick to judge for himself.

It was things like that, that made him feel stupidly optimistic.

“Btw, speaking of meeting… I’m definitely going to iwatobi next month”

“What and you’re just telling me now?!”

“I told you it was a possibility! I wasn’t sure until like yesterday”

“Then you should have told me yesterday”

“What's a day gonna change?”

“Well there's a lot to plan”

“Like what, it’s Iwatobi, there’s like nothing to do there…”

“Oh sorry big city boy!” Asahi bit his lip, a weird sort of courage filling him.

The ‘dive first’ kind of guy in him taking over. His heart raced.

“Fine, plan our date”

It was a bold move, the boldest move. Kisumi could be appalled, could stop talking to him, and then he wouldn’t even get the chance to see him in person one last time.

“Ah finally Asahi you admit you wanna date!”

_So far we’re still friends at least. But now he thinks I’m joking._

“Pfttttttt, you’re the one who probably has a heart emoji next to my name, I AM Shiina Asahi afteral”

_Great, now I sound like I’m joking._

“Whatever, it’s a date now and there’s no backtracking” tongue emoji

_Is it thought? Is it?_

He sent their conversation to his sister. Who had figured out his crush probably earlier than he did.

“You two are idiots, you’ll be walking down the aisle and acting like it’s just a joke’”

Kisumi tried to frown but smiled instead… she was probably right, it was going to take a lot of work to figure it out… but at least now he had a goal.

_Get a freaking scholarship to a Tokyo university._

And once Shiina Asahi set his mind onto something… there was no stopping him.

_Just wait Kisumi… I’m gonna date the hell out of your ass._


End file.
